About two million children in southern Sudan have been immunised against measles in a mass campaign spearheaded by the United Nations children’s agency, Unicef said on Saturday.
”It is a wonderful occasion seeing the two millionth child immunised against measles as part of the mass measles campaign which is aimed at reaching every child in southern Sudan,” Unicef Sudan representative Ted Chaiban said.
The occasion was marked by a colourful celebration of mainly Dinka tribesmen and women and by speeches from government and UN officials hailing the achievement.
Chaiban said the campaign is targeting 3,5-four million children aged between six months and 14 years in a joint effort by his agency, the government of southern Sudan, the World Health Organisation and other partners.
”It is a massive and successful logistical undertaking,” he said.
Unicef hopes to reach the ultimate goal of up to four million children vaccinated by next July.
The campaign coordinator, Teresa Delatorre of Unicef, said all of south Sudan has measles vaccination stations.
”The rate of measles infection currently runs at 20%,” she said, adding that she hoped the immunisation campaign would drastically reduce this rate.
”Each team includes a social worker and almost all of the vaccinators are local volunteers who follow a three-day training course on how to inject the vaccine deeply and effectively,” Delatorre said.
Christian and Muslim clerics are helping the campaign by persuading people to cooperate with the vaccination teams, she added. – Sapa-AFP